CLIG Constitution

1. NAME

The name of the organisation is the City Legal Information Group. This may be abbreviated to CLIG.

2. OBJECTS

CLIG exists to develop the role of legal information professionals in and around the City of London.

CLIG intends to organise a variety of meetings throughout the year to facilitate members' continuing professional development opportunities and to provide a forum for networking for mutual benefit.

3. MEMBERSHIP

Membership is open to everyone with an interest in the provision of legal information. The activities of the Group are, however, usually held in and around the City of London.

All membership of CLIG is personal and non-transferable, and will be granted or renewed only after the current annual subscription has been paid. Membership renewals are due annually on 1 April. Any member not having renewed their membership by 1 July will be deemed to have resigned. Subscription rates are set annually, and must be approved by the membership at the Annual General Meeting.

Each member has one vote and only members have the right to be elected as officers or members of the Committee.

4. MEETINGS

An Annual General Meeting shall be held at such time and place as the Committee decides but not more than 15 months shall elapse between the date of one Annual General Meeting of the organization and the next.

The business of the AGM will be decided by a show of hands and there is no provision for proxy voting. Tellers may be appointed by the AGM Chair to count the votes and unless the meeting decides otherwise a simple majority will suffice.

Meetings to fulfil the objects of the organisation are held at such times and places as the Committee decides.

5. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE

The Committee shall consist of the offices of: Chair; Vice Chair; Membership Secretary; Treasurer; and Newsletter Editor/Webmaster and a maximum of six Ordinary Members.

All Committee Members may be re-elected to the Committee for a maximum of five consecutive years and must then stand down for a period of at least one year before being considered eligible to rejoin the Committee. Subject to serving on the committee - irrespective of whether an officer or Ordinary Member - for this maximum period, time limits applying to officer roles are as follows:

The Chair shall serve a term of office of one year and will not be eligible to perform that role within three years. If no Committee member is able to take on the role of Chair, the existing Chair may continue in the post for a further year. The Vice Chair will automatically become Chair after one year, save that should it be known before the election that the Vice Chair cannot assume this duty, the post of Chair will be filled during the election. The Treasurer, Membership Secretary and Newsletter Editor/Webmaster may be re-elected to those positions for a maximum of three consecutive years, following which they will not be eligible for re-election to their former post for a period of three years.

6. ELECTIONS

Elections shall be held annually for any post on the Committee which is coming vacant and for which there is more than one nominee. If there is only one nomination for a post the post shall be deemed not vacant. If there is more than one nomination for the post the Membership Secretary shall organise a ballot of the members.

7. FINANCE

The funds of the organisation are vested in the Committee which will maintain a bank account. The Treasurer is at all times responsible for the administration of the funds of the organisation and is so accountable to the Committee and the Annual General Meeting.

Cheques up to £750 may be drawn on the signature of any Officer. Above this amount the signature of another Officer is additionally required.

An Honorary Auditor, not a member of the Committee, shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. He/she is expected to certify the accuracy of the accounts as presented to the Annual General Meeting.

8. AMENDMENTS

The Constitution may be amended by proposal published not less than 10 days in advance of the Annual General Meeting and only then if 55% of the members present at the Annual General Meeting vote in favour of the proposal. In order to better facilitate the work of the Committee, the Committee may from time to time make bye-laws to amend the Constitution in small matters not affectingFinance or the fundamental relationship between the Committee and Membership.

These bye-laws may only be created or amended in committee meetings by a quorate majority of the Committee. All bye-laws made/amended by the Committee shall be communicated to the membership within one month of their creation/amendment and shall also be published on the CLIG website.

9. DISSOLUTION

A resolution to dissolve the organisation may be moved only at an Annual General Meeting supported by 75% of the members present. The organisation shall automatically be dissolved if it fails to hold an Annual General Meeting for two consecutive years.

Any property remaining after the discharge of all debts and liabilities of the organisation shall be given to the Wallace Breem Memorial Fund.

If you have any views on the CLIG Constitution, please contact the Chair.